Chimeric poxvirus comprising sequences of a retroviral vector component

Abstract

A chimeric poxvirus is disclosed, which comprises the sequences of the vector component of a retroviral vector particle and optionally the packaging component of a defective retroviral particle. The chimeric poxvirus according to the invention particularly can be used for applications in gene therapy or tumor therapy.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A chimeric poxvirus comprising a poxvirus genome comprising stably inserted therein a replication defective retroviral proviral genome under transcriptional control of a promoter, wherein a foreign gene sequence under transcriptional control of a promoter is inserted into said retroviral genome. 
     
     
       2. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a packaging component sequence. 
     
     
       3. A chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said poxvirus is a chordopox virus. 
     
     
       4. A chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said poxvirus is an orthopox virus. 
     
     
       5. A chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said orthopox virus is a vaccinia virus. 
     
     
       6. A chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said vaccinia virus is a defective vaccinia virus. 
     
     
       7. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said retroviral genome is under transcriptional control of a poxvirus promoter. 
     
     
       8. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said packaging component sequence is under transcriptional control of a poxvirus promoter. 
     
     
       9. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said poxvirus promoter is an early poxvirus promoter. 
     
     
       10. A chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said poxvirus promoter is an early poxvirus promoter. 
     
     
       11. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said retroviral genome sequence comprises introns. 
     
     
       12. The chimeric poxvirus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said retroviral genome sequence comprises an internal polyadenylation sequence. 
     
     
       13. A defective retroviral particle comprising an intron-containing genome. 
     
     
       14. A method for producing a defective retroviral particle comprising a foreign gene sequence, wherein the method comprises 
       infecting a cell of a packaging cell line with a chimeric poxvirus comprising a poxvirus genome having stably inserted therein a replication defective retroviral genome under transcriptional control of a promoter, wherein a foreign gene sequence under transcriptional control of a promoter is inserted into said retroviral genome, and wherein the infected cell produces a defective retroviral particle.  
     
     
       15. A method for producing a defective retroviral particle comprising a foreign gene sequence, wherein the method comprises 
       infecting a cell of a cell line with a chimeric poxvirus comprising a poxvirus genome having stably inserted therein a replication defective retroviral genome under transcriptional control of a promoter, wherein a foreign gene sequence under transcriptional control of a promoter is inserted into said retroviral genome and retroviral packaging components under transcriptional control of a promoter, and wherein the infected cell produces a defective retroviral particle.